


Light in the Darkness

by Aquade



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Hiatus, Multi, Slow Burn, friendship to romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 22:42:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9093994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aquade/pseuds/Aquade
Summary: Preview: WILL ADMITTED IT: Nico di Angelo was hot. And watching the dark-haired boy swirl around in an exotic dance, dismantling Romans left and right? He had a ridiculous urge to fan himself. /Solangelo fic that starts slightly before the end of the Blood Of Olympus/ DISCONTINUED READ AT OWN RISK/ IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REWRITTEN





	1. WILL

  1. **WILL**



     WILL ADMITTED IT: Nico di Angelo was _hot_.

     And watching the dark-haired boy swirl around in an exotic dance, dismantling Romans left and right?

     He had a ridiculous urge to fan himself.

     Did he mention Nico was fighting to protect him?

     Will might be in love….with a son of Hades no less. The last person in the world who would feel the same way. Did he do something to smite Aphrodite in another life? Mere seconds later, groaning reached his ears, and Will gazed up to see Nico lower the point of his sword. Done already? A quick glance told him that the other demigods were only dazed.

     So Will did the first thing that popped into his head: He punched Nico on the shoulder. _What was that? This is how you show someone you’re interested? Unbelievable._ “Thanks for the assist. Six at once isn’t bad.” _What was wrong with him? Insulting his crush? Again, unbelievable._

     “Not bad?” Nico glared at him, and Will couldn’t read his expression. Was Nico really mad? “Next time I’ll just let them run you down, Solace.”

     Will’s heart deflated at the sound of his last name. Some of his friends called each other by their last names. Did this mean Nico only saw him as a friend? _Of course, you fool. What else would he see you as? A_ boy _friend? Yeah, right. In his dreams. Maybe not even then._

     Will forced a smile on his face. “Ah, they’d never catch me.” _Lie_. This was why he was a healer, not a fighter.

     Cecil waved at them, and they moved towards a siege machine – Nico in the lead. Too bad a guard spotted them a few feet away. “There!”

     Lou Ellen muttered something under her breath – something unpleasant, Will was certain. “They’re _expecting_ an attack now.” She went on about the Mist not working and something about retreating, but Will was too entranced by the gleam in Nico’s eyes.

     _He wasn’t going to do what Will thought he was going to…was he?_

     “No,” Nico said, and for a quick second Will thought he was replying to Will’s inner thoughts. And then Nico continued, “Let’s give them what they expect.”

     All right, so that didn’t shed much light on the subject. But the next thing definitely did.

     Nico spread out his hands, a look of concentration on his face, and the ground in front of the Romans erupted. Cecil and Lou Ellen rushed forward to help fight the Romans along with the skeleton warriors Nico had summoned. Sure, Will ought to go help them as well (maybe serve as a distraction again?) but he was a little busy preventing the son of Hades from falling right. On. His. Face.

     Anger bubbled at the fact that Nico had ignored his warning, but Will immediately pushed it down when Nico’s dark eyes crossed once. “You idiot.” He put an arm around the younger boy. “I told you no more of that Underworld magic.”

     “I’m fine.” Yeah, right. If Will had a penny for every time someone had said that and not meant it…

     “Shut up. You’re not.” Nico shot an annoyed look at him. Will ignored him, digging for the pack of gum he was sure he had stuffed into his pocket.

     Nico tried to pull away for gods knows what reason, but Will wasn’t letting him off that easily. After a brief struggle, Nico leaned against him for support. Willingly. Will fought to hide a smile. “Take this.” He held up the pack of gum.

     “You want me to chew gum?” Nico stopped there, but Will could hear his unfinished sentence. _In the middle of a battle?_ All right, so it was a rather strange request, but Nico didn’t have to sound so incredulous. Didn’t he trust Will?

     “It’s medicinal. Should keep you alive and alert for a few more hours.”

     Nico reached out for the gum hesitantly and popped a stick of it into his mouth after he had unwrapped it. “Tastes like tar and mud.”

     Huh, that was a surprisingly accurate description of it. Still. “Stop complaining.”

     Cecil limped over, and Will could tell he had pulled a muscle. He sent the demigod a scolding look. Cecil deliberately ignored him. “Hey. You guys kind of missed the fight.”

     Lou Ellen was right behind him, leaving behind tied up and very disgruntled Roman soldiers. “Thanks for the skeletons,” she said, grinning. “Great trick.”

     Nico looked rather pleased with himself. Will shot him a glare. “Which he _won’t_ be doing again.”

     The other boy pushed Will away and stood on his own feet – albeit shakily, of course. “I’ll do what I need to.”

     All right, so it _was_ rather heroic of him, but…Will rolled his eyes. “Fine, Death Boy. If you want to get yourself killed—”

     “Do _not_ call me _Death Boy_!” Nico shouted.

     “Um, guys—” Lou Ellen began.

     “DROP YOUR WEAPONS!”

     Will turned. Looked like their little skirmish hadn’t gone unnoticed. Roman soldiers advanced on them – unfamiliar faces behind armor. One – clearly their leader – marched in front of them, dressed in extravagant clothing Will thought was a little too much for a battle. Dog-headed warriors stood behind him. Beside him, Nico stiffened, and Will could tell he recognized them. “Well,” the Roman sneered. “ _Graecus_ saboteurs. Tear them apart.”

     They marched forward, and even Will – who had little to no war experience whatsoever – could tell they were about to be overwhelmed. Naturally, he did the only thing that popped into his head: Will let out a piercing cab whistle. The dog-men dropped in agony, clutching their ears.

     “Dude,” Cecil stated. “What the actual Hades? A little warning next time.”

     He sounded a little peeved, but Will only shrugged, gesturing towards the warriors. “It’s even worse for the dogs. One of my few musical talents. I do a really _awful_ ultrasonic whistle.” And wasn’t that the truth? Will inherited little to none of his father’s musical aptitude.

     Nico didn’t bother with the conversation, jabbing his sword into the dog-men as he walked past them. Will winced as they turned into shadows. The Romans were stunned. “My – my elite guard!” the one dressed like a king wailed. “Did you _see_ what he did to my elite guard?”

     “Some dogs need to be put down,” Nico stated, taking a step forwards. “Like you.”

     And for a moment, Will believed it would work. Until the Roman spoke. “You will be destroyed! You _Graeci_ sneak around, sabotaging our weapons, attacking our men—”

     “You mean the weapons you were about to fire at us?” Cecil shot back.

     And Lou Ellen, never being one to back out from a fight, added her own piece. “And the men who were about to burn our camp into ashes?”

     The Roman continued about how the Greeks were tricking them all, ordering the demigods around. Will really hoped they didn’t check too closely, or they would see the results of the group’s sabotaging. “Tell me, son of Pluto,” the Roman started, and Will snapped back to the present. “Why are you helping the Greeks? What have they ever done for you?”


	2. WILL

**2\. WILL**

     “I’M HELPING THE GREEKS _AND_ THE ROMANS,” Nico replied.

     The Roman laughed. “Don’t try to con me. What have they offered you – a place in their camp? They won’t honor their agreement.”

     “I don’t _want_ a place in their camp. Or in yours. When this war is over, I’m leaving both camps for good.”

     _What did he just say?_ Will felt as if he had been sucker punched in the gut. No, worse. Like by at least ten times. “Why would you do that?”

     Nico scowled at Will, probably sending him one of his infamous death glares as well, but Will wasn’t backing down that easily. “It’s none of your business, but I don’t belong. That’s obvious. No one wants me. I’m a child of—”

     _Nuh, uh. He did not just go there._ Was this kid blind or something? “Oh, please.” Will knew he sounded angry, but he couldn’t help it. “Nobody at Camp Half-Blood ever pushed you away.” _At least he hoped not._ “You have friends – or at least people who would _like_ to be your friend.” _Like me._ “You pushed yourself away. If you’d get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once—”

     “Enough!” the Roman snapped, and Will nearly unleased a string of unflattering words at him. Couldn’t he see they were having a conversation here? “Di Angelo, I can beat any offer the Greeks could make.” _Why that little—_ “I always thought you would make a powerful ally. I see the ruthlessness in you, and I appreciate that. I can assure you a place in New Rome. All you have to do is step aside and allow the Romans to win. The god Apollo has shown me the future—”

     “No!” Will pushed Nico away to stand right in front of the Roman, not believing his ears. “ _I_ am a son of Apollo, you anemic loser. My father hasn’t shown anyone the future, because the power of the prophecy isn’t working.” And didn’t he know it. “But this—” He waved at the Roman legion. “This is _not_ what Apollo would want!”

     The Roman sneered. “You lie. The god told me _personally_ that I would be remembered as the savior of Rome. I will lead the legion to victory, and I will start by—”

     _Thunk-thunk-thunk._ The onagers had fired.

     “By destroying the Greeks!” the Roman cried with glee. “The days of Camp Half-Blood are over!”

 

     There was nothing better than six warheads detonating far from Camp Half-Blood. The heat stung as the fireball raged in the air for a few seconds, scorching the plants. But when it stopped, no serious damage had been sustained.

     “NO! NO, NO! RELOAD!” the Roman yelled, stopping his feet.

     Too bad (no, not really), his soldiers were surrounded by their ally monsters, who were probably mad they hadn’t been served barbequed demigod for a meal.

     “Octavian!” a soldier yelled, and the Roman turned (so that was his name). “We have new orders.”

     “Orders? From whom? Not from me!”

     “From Reyna,” the other demigod said. “She’s ordered us to stand down.”

     “Reyna?” Octavian let out a bark of laughter. “You mean the outlaw I sent you to arrest? The _ex-praetor_ who conspired to betray her own people with this _Graecus_?” He jabbed his finger in Nico’s chest. Will bristled and nearly took a step forward. _How dare he stab Nico in the chest? Who did he think he was?_ “You’re taking orders from her?”

     The Romans seemed to have their loyalties divided. Octavian continued to argue about the leadership of the Roman soldiers. Will tried a last ditch effort. “Don’t do this, Octavian. Don’t force your people to choose. This is your last chance.”

     “ _My_ last chance?” There was madness in his eyes. “I will SAVE ROME! Now, Romans, follow my orders! Arrest Dakota. Destroy these _Graecus_ scum. And reload these onagers!”

     Will didn’t know whether the Romans would have followed Reyna or Octavian. And he would never find out, because the Greek army chose that time to appear on Half-Blood Hill, led by Clarisse La Rue. Grover Underwood led satyrs and nature spirits. Tyson had brought six Cyclopes, and Chiron stood in full stallion mode, a picture of bravery.

     “Romans, you have fired on our camp!” yelled Clarisse. “Withdraw or be destroyed!”

     Octavian turned to his troops. “You see? It was a trick! They divided us so they could launch a surprise attack. Legion, _cuneum formate_! CHARGE!”

     _Oh, no._

     Something gleamed at the corner of Will’s eyes, and he turned to see winged horses carrying a statue: the Athena Parthenos. Annabeth had completed her quest. Will had to stop the Greeks and Romans from slicing off each other’s’ heads – He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled again – louder than the last time. The demigods either winced or shuddered at the awful sound. Some even dropped their swords.

     And all of them were staring at him. “DON”T BE STUPID!” Will yelled, hoping he was loud enough. “LOOK!”

          He could make out a Roman soldier holding up her sword up high, riding on one of the winged horses. The forty-foot-tall gold and ivory statue landed with a _thump_. “GREEK DEMIGODS!” her voice boomed. “Behold you most sacred statue, the Athena Parthenos, wrongly taken by the Romans. I return it to you now as a gesture of peace!”

     Gold light rippled from the stature into the countryside – a warming sensation filling Will as the light touched him. “Romans!” the girl continued. “I do this for the good of the legion, for the good of Rome. We must stand together with our Greek brethren!”

     “Listen to her!” a familiar voice shouted from beside Will.

     Will watched as Nico marched forward – sword in hand, sunlight in his hair, and the most determined expression on his face. Will thought he looked like an angel. _Di Angelo_. Figures. “Reyna risked her life for all of you!” Nico said. “We brought this statue halfway across the world, Roman and Greek working together, because we _must_ join forces. Gaia is rising. If we don’t work together—”

     _YOU WILL DIE_.

     The ground rumbled at the worlds. Dirt seemed to have become mud or quicksand, dragging the demigods down. The earth itself fought against them, and the warm feeling vanished. Will gulped, throwing out his hands in an attempt to steady himself. Gaia was awake.

     _A FUTILE GESTURE. BUT IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, YOU MAY DIE TOGETHER._

     “No…” Octavian backed up fast. “No, no…” He ran, breaking rank, and Will’s lips curled. _Coward_.

     “CLOSE RANKS!”

     Greek and Roman surged together – shoulder to shoulder. Will was pressed between two Romans, and Nico had been swept off as well. They stood to face Gaia, with the statue as their rallying point. But they stood on enemy ground, because Gaia was the ground. And the ground was awake.

     And very angry.

 


	3. NICO

**III. NICO**

     THE MONSTERS CAME IN A CROWD.

     Ugly-looking brutes marched at Gaia’s bidding. _Cynocephali,_ two-headed men, wild centaurs: You name it. Some of them were part of the monstrous army Octavian had tried to recruit. Others came from over the hill. And even more plodded up from seemingly nowhere, conquered by Gaia to help fight.

     The demigods gathered at the feet of the Athena Parthenos, which somehow seemed to keep them going with strange magic. Nico stood at the Greek front line, rallying them even as the Roman cohorts took the brunt of the attack. A shadow briefly passed over him. Nico looked up to see Jason flying along with Piper in his arms.

     Huh, he really did look like a blond superman.

     A grey dragon flew beside them, and Nico guessed that it was Frank. A tiny figure perched on his back. Nico was relieved to make out Hazel’s brown hair flying in the wind. Frank clutched two other passengers in his claws and – upon squinting – Nico could make out Percy and Annabeth.

     Giant eagles – probably from the Roman army – circled Jason, their screeches only adding the noise o the battle. They also seemed to be talking to Jason. But Jason was too busy yelling at Frank to do something, his body language indicating towards three Roman cohorts that seemed to be taking the brunt of the attack. They might have been impressive, but the monsters seemed to never end, slowly but surely beginning over overwhelm them.

     Riding Frank as she would a horse, Hazel nodded, quickly saying something to Jason in response before Frank led them towards the Roman cohorts. As Frank flew a hard left, Percy’s yell flowed even louder than the battle noise. “I hate flying!” Annabeth seemed to be saying something back, but Percy’s eyes were squeezed shut and he appeared to be trying to keep his lunch down. Jason and Piper veered towards the Greeks.

     “Duck!”

     Nico ducked just in time, and a sword sliced the two-headed man that was about to decapitate him. “Thanks,” Nico said, but the other demigod had long disappeared into the crowd. A few feet away, Reyna sat on yet another Pegasus, her sword drawn as she screamed orders at the legion. Octavian had fled the scene, disappearing in the crowd of demigods. Maybe it was cruel, but Nico rather wished an ogre or something had cut Octavian down.

     Jason and Piper touched down not far from him – closer to Reyna – and Nico began cutting his way to them. “We had some giants to kill!” Piper was saying as Nico finally made his way to them.

     Reyna smiled. “Excellent! Help yourself to some barbarians.”

     “Why, thank you!” Piper said, grinning as well – her dagger clutched in a hand.

     They dived into the battle, working as if they had grown up together. Nico nodded to Jason, cutting off the heads of a two-headed man. “Good timing. Where’s the ship?”

     Jason pointed at the _Argo II_ streaking across the sky in a comet ball. Chunks of must, hull and armament fell as the ship tumbled to the west, disappearing behind the western hills. Nico knew that Leo was fireproof but… “Gods,” Nico mumbled, a feeling of dread sneaking through his body. “Is everyone okay?” _Please let Leo be fine_.

     Nico didn’t know how he could ever tell the seven if he felt Leo’s death.

     “Leo…” Jason’s voice cracked. “He said he had a plan.”

     “He’ll be fine,” Nico said hollowly, still half-expecting an explosion or a feeling of death.

     “Sure,” Jason replied, but he didn’t sound too sure, more like hopeful.

     Nico tightened his grip on his sword. “But just in case…For Leo.”

     “For Leo,” Jason repeated, nodding. Side by side, they charged into the fight.

     Jason seemed to be fueled by an outside source – fighting as if he had just slept for fifteen hours and had a huge breakfast before attending the battle. Nico couldn’t see how he managed it. The son of Hades was only running on adrenaline by now, and every so often he would find himself passing through a tree. Maybe Will was right about not shadow-travelling.

     _Will_!

     Nico glanced around the battlefield wildly, but he couldn’t make out the familiar glare of golden hair. Dread pooled in his stomach, but Nico pushed it down, reminding himself that he would have felt Will’s death. He felt the deaths of those closer to him more. _Focus on the battle, di Angelo. Will can take care of himself._

     He hoped.

     They were in the front lines of the Greco-Roman army. _Karpoi_ grain spirits swirled out of the grass. Gryphons dived from the sky. And lumpy clay humanoids appeared. Jason halted at the sight, brow furrowed in confusion and his mouth posed to ask a question. Nico recognized the clay creatures immediately. “They’re ghosts with earthen shells!” he warned. “Don’t let them hit you!”

     Jason nodded and sliced through the torso of a clay creature, ducking as another one swung a heavy arm his way. Gaia had definitely kept some surprises in reserve. They continued to cut, stab, and slice at the monsters around them, working perfectly in sync it was almost miraculous. Nico could hardly believe it, but their mixed army was slowly pushing back the enemies.

     At one point, Jason and Nico fell behind the front lines, taking a second to rest their bodies. Nico dropped his sword when his sword arm turned into shadow, but luckily, he caught it before it hit the ground. Not to mention, it had dropped when Jason was scanning the demigods around them – no doubt searching for Piper.

     Nico was just glad Jason hadn’t seen him fade again. The older demigod would definitely have ordered him to the infirmary or something. But there was still work to be done here. Nico took the moment to gaze around the battlefield for Will.

     And, as if on cue, said demigod stumbled to Nico.

     His face was dirt-stained, and his hair clumped together where the mud had dried, but Nico thought that nobody had ever looked better. Will had his dagger clutched in a hand, still dressed in the black T-shirt and jeans Nico had seen on him earlier in the day. His binoculars had disappeared, but the grease was still there, albeit smudged.

     He wanted to ask if Will was all right, but the son of Apollo had other ideas. He got up right against Nico – the closest he had ever been before – and Nico fought to think before all rational thought went away and he kissed the demigod. “Octavian,” Will stated.

     Talk about a mood-killer.

     Nico’s full attention was fixed on that one word. He had hesitated when he’d had the chance to kill Octavian, but there was no way Nico would let that scumbag augur escape justice. “Where?”

     “Come on,” Will said. “Hurry.”


	4. WILL

**IV. WILL**

     IF WILL DIDN’T KNOW BETTER, he would have sworn the ground itself was preventing them from reaching Octavian.

     Of course, in their world, that wasn’t so farfetched.

     He had been running in the midst of chaos – Nico behind him – passing Cyclopes, satyrs, and demigods. At one point, a squad of Hermes campers ran passed them. Will had missed feelings upon hearing, “What do you _mean_ we set the landmines on the wrong hill?”

     But there was no time for that.

     They had made it halfway down the hill when the ground trembled and shook. Time seemed to suspend as a whirling column of earth erupted from the adjacent hill, reveling Gaia in all her glory. Was it just him, or was the ground pulling them in?

     There wasn’t much time to ponder that before a…dragon?...swooped out of the sky, snatching up the Earth Mother with a _FOOOOMP!_ and soared away. “What – how –?” Nico stammered, blinking hard as if the view would disappear on him.

     “I don’t know,” Will stated, not believing his eyes either. “But I doubt there’s much we can do about _that_. We have other problems.”

     He ran towards the nearest onager and could soon spot Octavian meddling with the machine’s targeting levers. He had stacked a full load of Imperial gold and explosives on the throwing arm. Will had a bad feeling about all this.

     “Octavian!” Nico yelled.

     The Roman spun, then backed up against the weapon. His robes snagged on the trigger rope, but Octavian was too busy to notice. Fumes curled around him, and Will fought not to gag at the smell. “Oh, I see!” Octavian laughed insanely. “Trying to steal my glory, eh? No, no, son of Pluto. I am the savior of Rome. I was promised!”

     Will raised up his hands in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture. “Octavian, get away from the onager. That isn’t safe.”

     “Of course it’s not!” Octavian scoffed as if Will was an idiot for even mentioning it. “I will shoot Gaia down with this machine!”

     Storm clouds gathered around the battle in the sky. Will spared a brief glance to see two figures flying in the cloud next to the dragon and Gaia. Jason? He was the only one Will knew who could generate the storm. And the other figure…Piper? Upon closer inspection, the dragon was clearly Festus, which meant that Leo Valdez was up there as well.

     “You see?” Octavian cried, definitely smoking now as the Imperial gold on his robes caught fire. “The gods approve of my actions!”

     “Jason is making that storm,” Nico stated. “If you fire the onager, you’ll kill him and Piper, and—”

     “Good! They’re traitors. All traitors!”

     “Listen to me,” Will tried again. “This is _not_ what Apollo would want.” It might not be good to help the enemy, but Will needed to warn Octavian about his clothes as well. “Besides, your robes are—”

     “You know nothing, _Graecus_!” Octavian wrapped a hand around the trigger. “I must act before they can get any higher. Only an onager such as this can make the shot. I will singlehandedly—”

     “Centurion,” said a new voice.

     Will was surprised to see yet another demigod stumble into view, a large red knot on his forehead that looked painful. “Michael!” Octavian cried, breaking into a smile. “Excellent! Guard me while I fire this onager. Then we will kill these _Graeci_ together!”

     Michael took in the scene before scowling at Nico. Will’s grip on his dagger tightened, and he resisted the urge to throw it at the demigod. He was definitely going to warn Octavian about his robes tangled in the trigger rope, right? “Are you certain, Octavian?” he asked.

     “Yes!”

     “Are you absolutely certain?”

     “Yes, you fool!” Octavian snapped. “I will be remembered as the savior of Rome. Now keep them away while I destroy Gaia!”

     “Octavian, don’t.” Will put everything he had into one last plea. “We can’t allow you—”

     “Will,” Nico interrupted softly. “We can’t stop him.”

     Will stared at him in disbelief. Surely Nico had seen the robes in the rope as well, right? He had to be blind or mad not to! But then, why wasn’t he—

     “That’s right, son of Pluto.” Octavian seemed too happy for his own good. Son of Pluto…son of Hades… could Nico sense something Will didn’t? “You are helpless to stop me! It is my destiny! Kahale, stand guard!”

     “As you wish.” Michael stood between Octavian and us. Will couldn’t help but be reminded of the Princess Bride. “Centurion, do what you must.”

     “A good friend to the last,” Octavian said, pleased.

     Will nearly lost it there. But one look at Nico beside him, and he knew not to. But what about Leo, Jason, and Piper up there? Octavian may have been aiming for Gaia, but those were his friends up there as well. Still, he stood there, keeping silent, hoping something would happen.

     “Goodbye, Gaia!” Octavian cried. “Goodbye, Jason Grace the traitor!”

     Octavian cut the release wire.

     And promptly disappeared.

     He flew, screaming with the ammunition, towards Gaia. Will couldn’t say he was grieving to see the Roman go.

     “Goodbye, Octavian,” Michael Kahale said.

     He glared at Will and Nico one last time before turning and trudging away. With Octavian gone, it was one last crazy demigod to worry about. But Will couldn’t sum up enough happiness for the Roman’s death. Instead, he stood, staring at the sky with Nico by his side – both of them hoping for a miracle as the sky exploded in a dome of fire.


	5. WILL

**V. WILL**

     EVERYTHING AFTER THAT WAS A BLUR.

     Piper and Jason had indeed been part of the battle in the sky. They had been free-falling and unconscious when the Roman eagles plucked them out of the sky to safety. Unfortunately, Leo and Festus were still nowhere to be found, even when the entire Hephaestus cabin had scoured the entire valley.

     Gaia’s forces were defeated, but Greek and Roman casualties were high. Still, they could have been worse. This, Will knew first-hand, working in the infirmary. After Octavian was launched into the sky, everything seemed to unfold at light speed. Nico had disappeared – probably joining the seven in grieving over Leo. The infirmary was so full and busy that Will barely had time to eat and sleep, much less visit the other boy.

     And Nico hadn’t gone to visit him either.

     Will didn’t feel too good about that.

     But the news from injured campers were interesting. Gaia couldn’t be killed, but her essence had been scattered for (hopefully) eternity. Or at least, it was scattered enough that the satyrs and nature spirits could no longer sense her.

     Will did take a break from the infirmary for the burial rites, however, as did most of the Apollo cabin. They had left a skeleton crew back at the infirmary, since the majority of patients were stable. Will was just another face in the crowd of demigods watching Nico honor the dead by mumbling something and sending a prayer to Hades.

     Nico had found a Camp Half-Blood shirt, but it was a size too small on him. When he raised his hands to send the dead into the Underworld, the shirt rose up, and Will wouldn’t stop staring at the piece of skin left to view. Lou Ellen had jabbed his ribs, then, a teasing smile on her lips as her brows rose in question.

     Will could only stammer out some vague form of an excuse, face burning red. Lou Ellen had only shook her head, even her cheeky attitude dimmed by the deaths. It made Will feel guilty to check Nico out so blatantly.

     At one point, a ghostly form of Hades himself had appeared to the crowd, standing behind Nico. The god had nodded to the demigods before putting see-through hands on Nico’s shoulders. If Nico felt anything different, he didn’t say. Then, Hades vanished. It might have been strange to have felt relief at the sight of the god of the Underworld, but they did. Maybe it was because they now knew for sure Hades would take care of their fallen brethren.

     It had been a strange week anyway.

     The second day, everyone pitched in to clean up the battlefield. Well, everyone except the Apollo cabin, that is. The infirmary was so close to bursting that nearly the entire Big House had been invaded with beds and medical supplies. Will himself took on more shifts than the others, relying on three hours’ worth of sleep and adrenaline to get him through each day.

     There was something about being the head of a cabin that called for that.

     So he ran across camp to fetch more medical supplies, lugged/stole beds from the other cabins and the Romans, and made house calls to the less injured demigods. And still, Nico hadn’t visited him. The Romans had set up their field camp next to the strawberry fields. Good thing, too, because the cabins would never have housed all of them. They didn’t mind sharing either, which was great because Will had enlisted the help of a few Hermes/Mercury kids to “borrow” a few Roman mats.

     Evening came like a thief. No one expected the day to be gone so fast.

     Will jogged to their dining hall pavilion just in time to hear the demigods’ cries of, “TO NEW FRIENDS!”

     He had piled a couple dozen magical plates on himself and dumped a whole plateful of food into the campfire as an offering to the gods before he spotted Nico in the shadows. But there was no time to greet the other demigod. Will rushed back, careful not to trip on the uneven ground.

     His next trip caught him the sight of Reyna walking to Nico, pulling the demigod out of the shadows. “We had one home,” she said. “Now we have two.”

     Will joined with the cheer as Reyna hugged Nico. To his surprise, the dark demigod hugged her back, burying his face in Reyna’s shoulder in the most affectionate form he had ever seen. Will pushed down the twinge of jealousy and smiled.

     Nico deserved someone in his life who would never stop loving him.

     “Even though you wished you were said someone?” a new voice said.

     Will jumped at spun around, looking for the source of the voice. A shimmering in front of him revealed a lean, muscular young man with huge snowy white wings. He wore a simple white frock and jeans, a golden bow and quiver slung over his shoulder. Shoulder-length straight black hair and blood-red eyes make up the rest of his appearance. Will recognized him nearly instantly. “Cupid?”

     “Eros,” the god corrected, looking like a kid on Christmas as he stared at Will. “And don’t worry, only you can see me.”

     “Yay, me,” Will said blandly. Frankly, he was starting to get annoyed with the gods. “Why are you here?”

     “That’s no way to treat a god, is it, Solace?” Eros chided. “But to answer your question, you have to answer mine. Do you wish you were said someone?”

     “Shut up, Eros,” Will snapped, face turning red.

     “Ah, denial is such a beautiful thing. This is a great love story, you know. Maybe Aphrodite would take an interest in it.”

     “No!” Will objected quickly, eyes widening in horror. He could already see Aphrodite meddling in both Nico’s and his lives, probably going to lock them in a closet or something. Although, that wasn’t such a bad idea… _No_! Mind out of the gutter!

     “I would say ‘as you wish’”, Eros said, grinning. “But I know you’ve watched the Princess Bride. Maybe I should shoot the both of you with an arrow. Speed things up a little.”

     Will blanched. “Don’t!”

     Eros frowned, titling his head to a side and rolling his eyes. If Will didn’t know better, he could have almost mistaken him for another demigod. “Very well. Aphrodite is calling me anyway. Last chance, want me to tell her your tragic tale? I’m sure she’ll be happy to help.”

     “I’d like both of your help as much as I would like to poke a needle through my eye,” Will told him.

     Eros’s laughter echoed through his mind as the god vanished into a cloud of smoke and glitter. Will rubbed a hand over his face as he trudged back to the Big House. Hopefully, Eros keeps his word.


	6. WILL

  
**VI.** **WILL**   


     The next morning, Will saw him. Messy black hair that tousled up even more when pale fingers ran through them. The same Camp Half-Blood T-shirt from before. And he was talking to Jason.

     Pretty, blond, handsome—

     Wait, what was he talking about? There wasn’t a need to be jealous when Nico wasn’t even gay in the first place. Or single for that matter.

     Will watched as Jason opened his arms out for a hug. Nico hesitated, and Jason froze, saying something in regret. _Hah! He only lets his girlfriend hug him, blondie._

     Then Nico replied, and Jason grinned, wrapping the shorter demigod in a bone-crushing hug. _What?_ He let _Jason_ hug him but shied away when Will only tried to support him? He was about to fall to the ground, for goodness sakes!

     Will began waving wildly before he even knew what he was doing.

     He was about to stop – feeling a little like a fool – when Nico turned and saw him.

     For an alarming second, all coherent thought left his head. Nico was looking at him in confusion. _Too late to stop now_. Might as well follow-through with everything. Plus, he needed to talk to Nico about other matters anyway. As a friend. Really. Okay, maybe a little more.

     This sucked.

     He put on what he hoped was a stern look on his face and pointed to his feet. _You. Here. Now._ Nico excused himself and walked over. Over his head, Jason raised a brow, grinned, and winked. Will fought to keep the horrified redness from his face. _He knows_! _He knows_!

     Nico stood under the porch stairs. Will pushed Jason out of his mind and focused on the demigod in front of him. “So where were you?” he demanded, heart turning somersaults at the adorable confused expression on Nico’s face.

     “What do you mean?”

     “I’ve been stuck in the infirmary for, like, two days. You don’t come by. You don’t offer to help.” Will would never tell Nico it had stung him a little.

     “I…what? Why would you want a son of Hades in the same room with the people you’re trying to heal? Why would _anyone_ want that?” Oh, no. He wasn’t going down _that_ road again.

     “You can’t help out a friend? Maybe cut bandages? Bring me a soda or a snack?” Will was listing things out as soon as he thought about them. “Or just a simple _How’s it going, Will?_ You don’t think I could stand to see a friendly face?”

     Nico looked even more confused, hardly seeming to follow the conversation anymore. “What…. _my_ face?” He blinked in shock.

     “You’re so dense,” Will stated. There had been a pang in his heart at the other camper’s shock and confusion. Hadn’t anyone asked for his company before? “I hope you got over that nonsense about leaving Camp Half-Blood.”

     “I—” Nico didn’t know what to say. He had lost control of the conversation since the first word. “—yeah. I did. I mean, I’m staying.”

     “Good,” Will said, satisfied. “So you may be dense, but you’re not an idiot.”

     Nico seemed to take those words a little too close to heart – and with a fair bit of surprise. “How can you even talk to me like that? Don’t you know I can summon zombies and skeletons and—”

     “Right now,” Will interrupted, “you couldn’t summon a wishbone without melting into a puddle of darkness, di Angelo.” At least, he thought that would happen. There weren’t a lot of Hades campers here to find out. “I told you, no more Underworldly stuff, doctor’s orders. You owe me at least three days of rest in the infirmary. Starting _now._ ”

     As soon as Will said the words, he wanted to take them back. What was he thinking? Three days in the infirmary with Nico? He wouldn’t survive it. Plus, Nico would never agree anyway.

     “Three days? I – I suppose that would be okay.”

     _HE SAID YES!_ Will felt like that one character in the movies and books who had finally gotten his or her crush to go out on a date. If he didn’t rein it soon, he would be flying off the porch to land one on Nico’s lips.

     Of course, this wasn’t a date. It was a much-needed trip to the infirmary. Will deflated. To mention, Nico was straight. And taken. He forced a casual tone in his voice. “Good. Now—”

     A loud _whoop!_ Interrupted him.

     Nico glanced over to Percy, who had _whooped_ in the first place. He was grinning as Annabeth laughed, lightly slapping his arm. “I’ll be right back,” he told Will. “Promise on the Styx and everything.”

     He walked over and conversed with Percy for a while. Will watched in slight amazement as Percy’s expression switched from delighted to uncertainty to confusion. _What was Nico telling him_? At last they finished, Nico giving Annabeth a high-five while Percy looked like a fish out of water.

     Nico walked back to Will, a small smile lining his lips. Will could have sworn there was a hop to his step as well, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “What was that?” Will asked him.

     Nico sent him sly smile, and frogs leaped in Will’s stomach. The smile may have been secretive, but it lit up his entire face, chasing the away the shadows that were lingering around the son of Hades. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Just something I needed to get off my chest.”

     Will was curious, but he let it go, because Nico was sending him a real smile now. And Will never wanted to see the other boy without it.


	7. NICO

**VII. NICO**

     “WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”

     Nico blinked. He had thought it was obvious. Nico gestured at the Hades cabin. “I’m….going to check on Hazel. She’s probably awake now.”

     “No, you’re not.” Will crossed his arms and stared him down, using his extra inch height to his advantage. “You’re coming with me to the infirmary.”

     In all his life, Nico had never taken too kindly to people telling him what he could or could not do. He glared at Will. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Will. I’m going back to the cabin.”

     “No, you’re not,” Will repeated before smirking. “You promised on the Styx, remember? You _have_ to come to the infirmary.”

     Nico froze, recalling something about a promise on the sacred river. Will’s grin widened before Nico remembered his exact words. “No, I said I would be right back from speaking to Percy. And I did. I never promised anything of that sort on the Styx.”

     Will’s smile disappeared. “But…you already agreed to three days.”

     He looked so hurt Nico had to glance away. “I never said when,” he said, resisting a yawn. He didn’t like being awoken this early. “I’ll do it later, when the infirmary isn’t so busy. Now, let me go back for a nap or breakfast. I might bring Hazel a plate, actually.”

     “The infirmary isn’t too busy now,” Will countered. “Most patients are stable now. We’ll just be making quite a few house calls. And you can have breakfast there. We keep still have some of the magical plates leftover from last night. They never collected them.”

     Sitting in a large room with fifty other demigods in worse shape? Staring at him? No, thanks. “Will, I’m fine. I’ll come by in a week, don’t worry.”

     Nico turned to walk back when a hand grabbed his wrist, pulling him back. Pain flared, and black spots entered his vision as he let out a strangled gasp, falling to his knees. The hand released its grip, and Nico fought to blink by the tears of pain that blurred his vison. His other hand clenched into a fist, and he nearly punched Will when the demigod placed a hand on his shoulder. “Nico? Nico, are you all right? Darn it, I’m sorry.”

     The pain felt as if someone was trying to wrench his arm free from his body. Dang werewolves and their claws. “It’s not your fault,” Nico gasped. “Old injury.”

     Will narrowed his eyes and gently pulled up the sleeve of Nico’s Camp Half-Blood shirt, sucking in a quick breath at the sight. The son of Apollo looked pained as he ran both hands through his hair before pointing accusingly at the claw marks. “How long ago?”

     “Will, seriously, I’m fine. It’s just taking a while to heal—” Nico began before he was quickly cut off.

     “ _How long ago_?” Will repeated, looking murderously angry.

     Nico had always thought the other demigod could never even scare a fly, but….Wow. He could be threatening when he felt like it. “A week?”

     Will spun on his heel, running his fingers through his blond hair again. Nico was quite sure Will wanted to strangle him, especially when Will began mumbling and cursing about ‘that idiot demigod’ and how Nico couldn’t just ‘accept the darned help’ and ‘swallow his stupid pride for once in his life’. Grunting, Nico got up to his feet shakily, and Will was immediately by his side.

     Will wavered, as if wondering if he should offer his help, before straightening his shoulders. “Now you’re definitely going to the infirmary. No buts about it. Doctor’s orders.” He pulled Nico’s arm over his shoulders. Nico gasped and immediately drew back, closing his eyes shut tightly. Putting an injured arm on a taller demigod was definitely not good.

     Will seemed to come to the same conclusion as well, muttering a curse under his breath before he bit his lip. “Think you can get there on your own?” he asked. “No, wait, or I could sort of bend down or something. Or maybe—”

     “I can manage it on my own,” Nico cut in, before Will could spout off any other brilliant ideas. The demigod might come up with something like putting Nico in a wheelbarrow from the Demeter cabin if Nico let him continue for much longer.

     So Will lingered by his side like an unceasing mother hen, nearly tripping Nico up himself with all his fluttering. Normally, Nico would have snapped by now, chasing Will away. But there was something about that concerned look on Will’s face that stopped him. And resurrected the skeletal butterflies in his stomach that he thought he had killed.

     Oh, great.

 

 

     “Will, there’s—” Kayla stopped, blinking at Nico. “What’s going on here? I thought everyone agreed to play safe for a week!”

     “It’s an older injury, Kayla,” Will answered, positioning himself behind Nico to catch the demigod, should he fall. “And before you ask, it’s one before the battle.”

     Kayla trailed behind them as they entered the Big House, overly curious before she remembered what her original sentence was. “Oh, Will, Austin wanted to ask you something. He’s in the west wing. Said it’s fairly urgent. Or at least, I think he wants an answer before September or the weather turns cold.”

     Will hesitated, looking towards the west wing. He ran a hand through his hair. “West wing is the less injured and ICU.” He glanced at Nico. “You don’t qualify for either of those.”

     “Who said so?” Nico resisted the urge to cross his arms. “It’s not that bad.”

     “Not that bad?” Will echoed incredulously. “They’re infected! The fever could hit at any moment! Maybe I should just put you in the Intensive Care Unit. Sure, it’s usually for the comas and post-surgery patients, but we don’t know how bad the fever will be—”

     Nico rolled his eyes, heading towards the east wing by himself. “Bye, Will. I can get there myself. Go ahead to Austin.”

     “N-Nico! Kayla, make sure he doesn’t fall on his face. I’ll get back soon.”

     With a few steps, the female demigod caught up to Nico, easily overtaking him as she led him down the hall. “You a friend of Will’s? I haven’t seen you before, and Will doesn’t usually get that flustered about an injury unless it’s a close friend. Or a bad injury.”

     _Friend_? Nico wasn’t quite sure about Will and him being _friends_. “You could say we’re acquaintances…” he trailed off before continuing. “Might be the injury reason, but they’re just werewolf claw marks. Nothing too bad.”

     Kayla stopped in her tracks. “Werewolf claw marks? No wonder Will is so worried, you fool. We need to get you stable before the infection starts then.” She all but pushed him into the closest room. Nico glanced around to see three other occupants on cot beds. “Uh, Kayla? I don’t feel too comfortable about staying with other—”

     “Oh, suck it up, you big baby.” Kayla paid no attention as Nico bristled. “Now, get in here and stay while I go get some supplies.”

     “Wait, Kayla, I—” Nico was cut off by the door slamming shut. “Dang it.” He sighed.


	8. NICO

**VIII. NICO**

     NICO WAS PLAYING WITH THE SHADOWS when Will nearly gave him a heart attack.

     “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

     The shadows retreated back to their corners as Will Solace stormed over, face murderously angry. Nico blinked in confusion and gave him a tentative smile. “What?”

     Will grabbed his wrist and examined his fingers for who knew what. “I told you, no more Underworldy stuff! What part of that don’t you understand?” Seemingly satisfied with what he saw, he let Nico’s wrist drop. “So? What do have to say about yourself?”

     “What?” Nico repeated, having no idea what Will was going on about. Why was he so worried anyway? It was just some shadows. Nothing to worry about. He should embrace life, happiness. He was worked over nothing. Maybe he had overworked himself and was approaching a nervous breakdown? Or maybe Will was just sick.

     Nico reached out to lay a palm on Will’s forehead, effectively shutting the medic up midsentence. Nico frowned and placed his free palm on his own forehead. Will looked flustered. “W-what are you doing?”

     “Checking your temperature,” Nico replied in a way that clearly said _duh._ “You keep rambling over nothing, and I’m starting to think you’re working yourself to the ground. You should rest more, you know. You might have gotten yourself sick, but I’m not too certain about that. It might be an Apollo thing or it may be because I’m naturally a few degrees lower and it just feels that way, but I think you might be getting a fever.”

     Will turned red, and Nico couldn’t tell if the medic wanted to laugh or strangle someone. At last, Will let out a weak, “Who’s the one rambling now?”

     Nico rolled his eyes and crossed his legs. “So, what brings you over?”

     Will gestured at his fallen supplies on the ground where he had dropped everything. “I was going to treat your wounds…” He moved towards the supplies.

     “No need!” Nico said brightly. “Kayla’s getting supplies as we speak!” Was it just him or was his voice a pitch or two too high? And what was going on with the happy bubbly feeling in him?

     Will swept up his supplies. “Yeah, well, I have supplies here, so we might as well do it now.” He turned, and Nico grinned brightly. Will narrowed his eyes. “Nico, are you feeling all right?”

     “Never better!” The sun seemed to be lighting up the entire room, but Nico wasn’t blinded. He was just too happy. It felt like he was sitting on clouds, floating off to Wonderland. “Isn’t it a great day today?” He laughed. “Ha! I rhymed!”

     “That’s a horrible rhyme,” Will stated absentmindedly as he laid a hand on Nico’s forehead. “Nico, did Kayla or anyone give you something?”

     Nico giggled. “Yes! She said it would help with the pain!” He burst into laughter. Why wasn’t Will laughing with him? Will ran a hand through his golden locks, and Nico stared fixedly, no shame in his actions. “Did the sunlight land in your hair?”

     Will paused. “What?”

     Nico pointed. “Your hair. It’s so….yellow…no, golden! It’s like the sun landed in it.”

     Will’s lips twitched into a smile, and he sighed, running a hand over his face. “I think Kayla gave you too much,” he mumbled.

     Who was he talking to? Nico? Will wasn’t looking at him. Could Will see someone Nico couldn’t? Nico gasped and tilted his head. “Who are you talking to?”

     “No one, Nico.” Will placed his supplies on the bedside table. “Here, why don’t you take a nap? It might do you good to sleep this all off before you say something you regret.”

     “But I’m not tired!” Nico complained like a small child. His yawn gave it away, though. “And I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. I wanted pancakes.”

     Will seemed to be hiding a smile. “Your yawn tells me differently. The medicine always makes people tired. And don’t worry, your pancakes will still be waiting when you wake up.” He tucked the smaller boy into the blanket. “Sleep well, Nico.”

     Nico yawned once more, eyes suddenly droopy. Why was he so tired? Will moved away, and Nico stretched out a weak arm. “No,” he mumbled. “Don’t go…” He didn’t want Will to leave. Not when the son of Apollo was slightly glowing and seemed to be able to fight away the monsters. “Stay…” he added softly.

     Nico never heard or saw Will’s response; he was already out cold.

 

     _Tartarus – a place worse than all the hells mortals could come up with._

_And Nico was back in it. Every monster that had ever been killed converged on him. No, more than that. Every monster in existence was there. They fell on him like starving dogs over a piece of steak, each of them wanting a piece a slice of demigod. Nico whirled, slicing at them with his sword even as they clawed and bit at him. He couldn’t keep it up forever, not when they were practically sucking the strength from the marrow of his bones._

_And then they drew back, eyes feasting on him hungrily as they surrounded him. He recognized each of them from Mythomagic cards – facts, defense, and attack power storming his brain in an unceasing stream of letters and numbers._

_“Nico?”_

_No, it couldn’t be. Not her. Not now. Not_ here. _But he couldn’t stop himself from looking up. “Bianca?”_

 _Her face – so familiar, so real – broke into a smile. “Nico! It_ is _you!”_

_And even though he was scratched and hurt and bleeding, Nico couldn’t squash the hope bubbling in him. Hope, relief, and….FEAR. “BIANCA! WAIT! DUCK!”_

_He had seen Bianca run towards him, had seen the poisonous tail rise up behind her. But he saw it all too late. “NOOOOOOOOO!”_

_Bianca looked at him with disbelieving eyes darting between Nico and the sharp barb sticking out of her chest. She opened her mouth but only blood poured out. Helplessly, Nico watched as her bright eyes dulled. The tail pulled out, and Bianca slumped to the ground. It was as if a switch had been turned on. One second he was here and the next second he was beside her, having moved so fast he wasn’t even sure whether or not he had shadow-travelled. A strangled cry died on his lips, and her name fell off so softly he wasn’t even sure if he had said it or not. “Bianca…no…not again.”_

     YOU KILLED HER, SON OF HADES. _The voice rose all around him, echoing constantly._

     _“What? No. I-I didn’t. I-I couldn’t!”_

HER BLOOD WILL FOREVER BE ON YOUR HANDS. IF ONLY YOU WERE FASTER. IF ONLY YOU WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE HER STAY. HER DEATH IS YOUR FAULT!

     _Nico tried to deny it. No, it couldn’t be. It—it had been no one’s fault. Bianca had told him that himself. But then Bianca’s head turned towards him, lifeless eyes staring into the pit of his soul._

     ALL YOUR FAULT.

     _“Bianca…_ please _.”_

ALL YOUR FAULT. _The words seemed to be a synthesis of a thousand rough voices, grating his nerves. And then they cleared into the familiar voice of his sister._ IF ONLY YOU WEREN’T SO WEAK. I DIED FOR YOU. FOR YOUR STUPID MYTHOMAGIC GAME.

     _“No, Bianca, please.”_

     ALL YOUR FAULT, NICO.

     _And then the ground was shaking, and invisible hands were dragging him down, deep into the mouth of Tartarus. And Nico didn’t think he would ever see the light of day again._


	9. NICO

**IX. NICO**

     NICO HAD WILL PINNED ON THE BED before he fully woke.

     Will stared up at him with wide eyes. “N-Nico?” he said softly, as if afraid of startling him.

     It took Nico a second, but he managed to swallow once before letting out a ragged breath, leaning back on Will’s legs so that his arm was no longer on Will’s windpipe. Will didn’t push as Nico closed his eyes and tried to even his breaths. Nico swallowed once before glancing around the room. It was dark, and at first, Nico thought he had slept the day away. Then he looked again and realized he had unconsciously called the shadows to him while asleep.

     His breath slowed, and Nico ran a hand over his face. Then it came to him in a jolt – he had been straddling Will for the last few minutes. Face burning red, he rolled off the taller boy, retreating to the corner where he pulled his knees to his chest and laid his forehead on them. The shadows slowly inched away, as if sensing the son of Hades no longer needed them.

     After a second, the cot bed creaked, and a presence stood in front of Nico. A warm hand fell on his shoulder, and Nico flinched away instinctively, trying to ignore the hurt that flashed across blue eyes. Will sighed, sitting down next to Nico. His long legs stretched across the floor as they stared at the bright sunlight through the window. It would seem like the sunlight chased all Nico’s fears away. At least a little bit.

     Will cleared his throat. “Want to talk about it?”

     “Not particularly,” Nico bit out, harsher than he had intended. But he wouldn’t take them back. Not when his mind was still reeling over the fact that the nightmares were back. That Tartarus would never leave him alone ever again.

     They fell silent for a while before Nico broke it, saying, “Um, sorry about pinning you down. And earlier, when I was kinda drugged.”

     “Kinda?” Will laughed, and Nico was glad he didn’t pry on what recently happened. “You were drugged out of your mind. I spoke to Kayla, and she had gotten the measures based on your height and age, not your weight.” He flicked Nico’s wrist. “You need to eat more, or you’ll be nothing except bones.”

     “Yeah, well, thanks for not letting me make a fool of myself.”

     Will seemed to look uncomfortable. “Hey, how much do you remember anyway?”

     “What do you mean? I blacked out soon after I mentioned that your hair was made of sunlight or something.” Nico buried his head in his arms. “Gosh, that’s embarrassing.” He glanced up. “Wait, why do you ask? Did something else happen?” Different scenarios – all bad – flashed through Nico’s mind.

     Was it just him, or did Will look almost relieved? “No, no. Nothing else. I was just wondering since some patients don’t remember what happened when they’re drugged.”

     Nico had the sneaky suspicion that Will wasn’t telling him everything, but the son of Apollo hadn’t pressed on the issue with Percy or with Nico pinning him down. It felt right to return the favor. “Huh, interesting.”

     Nico rubbed his arms and was surprised to find bandages lining them. _What the_ …. It was then that he realized he was no longer wearing the Camp Half-Blood shirt from before, but instead a flimsy hospital one. Wait, did that mean someone _undressed_ him? Nico stared at his pants and was relieved to see that he was still wearing the same one. _Thank gods._

     Will glanced at him to see Nico picking at the bandages. “Hey, don’t do that. I wouldn’t want my hard work to go to waste.”

     Good gods, _Will_ undressed him? Nico half-wished Gaia would re-emerge and pull him into the ground. “Um, uh.” Nico swallowed. “Where’s my shirt?”

     Will had the grace to look embarrassed. “You were knocked out, and I didn’t want to risk waking you or injuring the wound even more, so I, uh, cut it open. That shirt is long gone. Sorry.”

     Will’s words barely pierced Nico’s brain, and all he was thinking was _Good gods. Will saw the scars. He saw the wounds. He saw my bare_ chest _!_ And then… _He must think I’m ugly._ The thought saddened him, crushed him. And then he felt angry that it had.

     But Will was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. And no matter how much Nico knew he had to, he couldn’t push Will away. “Thanks,” he said instead, letting Will fill out the blanks. _Thanks for bandaging my arm. Thanks for putting up with me. Thanks for not letting me push you away._

     Will beamed at him, and it seemed like the demigod was glowing as bright as Apollo himself. Nico felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. No, not a sinking feeling. If only it were that easy. No, this was far worse. This was the feeling of a thousand skeleton butterflies erupting in his stomach, playing with another five hundred jumping skeleton frogs. This was the worst feeling Nico could ever have. Again. But no matter how hard the demigod tried to convince himself of otherwise, there was no escaping the truth when those bright blue eyes were staring at him, sunlight bouncing off his hair and a smile decorating his lips.

     Nico di Angelo had a crush on Will Solace.

     Yet another unattainable hero. The gods must hate him.


	10. WILL

**X. WILL**

     WILL DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

     Nico had said that he was fine with Will destroying his shirt, but then the younger boy had a stricken look on his face, and _Will couldn’t tell what he was thinking._ “So, um, do you want to get some lunch or something?” Oh, yeah. Great work, Solace. Bribe him with food.

     “Sure.” Nico moved to his feet before sending Will a pointed look. “Coming?” He stretched his arms above his head, and the light blue hospital-shirt inched up. _Good gods._ “Will?”

     With a horrified thought, Will realized he was staring. He stumbled to his feet, trying to keep his face from blushing too red. “Just sit on the bed. There are a few plates here from last night. I’ll just grab two from the kitchen.”

     Nico nodded absentmindedly, perching himself on the cot bed and playing with the bedsheets. The sunlight rested on his face, and Will had to flee the room before he did something stupid. Like kiss Nico. Will shook his head to get _that_ image out of his mind. Not the time for it.

      He passed Austin on the way to the kitchen. The brown-haired demigod stopped him with a touch on his arm, jerking his chin towards the room Will just left. “All good?”

     Will stretched and nodded. “Yeah. Just a nightmare. The shadows came to him unconsciously. Must be a child of Hades thing.” Austin had been with him when they had seen the shadows around the window. Will had recognized which room it was right away. “Oh, and I talked to Chiron about your idea, and he approved it as long as there’s no more than five children and at least two trained demigods.”

     Austin fist-pumped the air, letting out a whoop. “Great! I’ll let the kids know. Anything else?”

     “Just one more thing. He also wants you to check in before you leave and when you come back. No more than three hours out or he’ll start sending the cavalry after you.”

     “Understood.” Austin grinned. “See you around, then. I have to start planning it out.”

     Will waved him off and continued on his way. Victoria was on kitchen duty when he walked in, wiping the dishes with a cloth. She glanced around and shot him a friendly smile. “How many?”

     Will held up two fingers. “Two.”

     “Think you can make do with one?” she asked, setting down the cloth and opening a cupboard. “I’m not sure how many more are taking lunch here, and I’d prefer it if we don’t have to make another run for more plates. I can give you a disposable one, though, and plastic forks.”

     Will shrugged. “Fine by me.” He took the offered utensils and plates. “Thanks, Vic.”

      “No problem.”

 

     At first glance, Nico didn’t seem to have moved from when Will left him. However, on closer inspection, Will could make out the tendrils of shadows wrapped around Nico’s fingers. “What did I tell you about using your Underworldly powers?”

     Nico rolled his eyes, blowing the shadows at him and grinning when they turned into moths that Will tried to swat away. “It’s fine, doesn’t take too much energy unless I do it on a larger scale. I can’t stop it as much as you can stop waking and sleeping with the sun.”

     Will shot him a glare as the shadows returned to Nico. They bunched together to shift into a cat with its head and tail held high in distain. “Hrmpf. I don’t think they like me.”

     Nico grinned and waved the shadows to their respective corners. “What did you expect? You’re a child of Apollo, which basically screams light. If you haven’t noticed, too much light does make shadows disappear.”

     “A little of it makes them _a_ ppear,” Will shot back, handing him the magical plate. “So, what do you want? Just think, then scrape it on this plate, cos we only have one.”

     As if on cue, pancakes appeared on the plate. Will raised a brow as Nico began moving it to the paper plate. The dark-haired boy glanced up. “What? I already told you I had a craving.”

     “Didn’t know it would last this long.”

     “Shut up.”

     Will grinned good-naturedly, taking the plate from Nico when the son of Hades was finished. Bacon and eggs popped up, Nico taking his turn to raise a brow at the sight. “What?” Will defended this time.

     Nico shrugged, pointing his fork at the ensemble. “Bacon. Fried. Isn’t that supposed to be unhealthy or something?”

     “And?”

     Nico stared at him incredulously. “And? Well, you’re a healer, aren’t you? Don’t you preach about eating healthy and all that?” He shoved a pancake into his mouth, syrup dripping down.

     “I resent that,” Will stated haughtily before deflating. “Besides, have you ever _met_ a demigod? We don’t follow orders well. Or even suggestions, really. Not to mention we probably burn off all that unhealthy foods in a single training session anyway.”

     “True that,” Nico agreed, seemingly abandoning the conversation to focus on his food.

     Will watched him for a second or two longer, taking the opportunity to stare unabashedly while the other demigod chowed down pancakes as if it was his last meal. It was … _nice_ – just sitting there with Nico in a comfortable silence. Will could grow used to this.

     Blue eyes watched as Nico grimaced at the syrup on his chin before wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. A smile threatened his lips as he handed Nico a napkin silently, the son of Hades snatching it grumpily, and muttering something along the lines of, ‘he couldn’t have handed me this earlier’.

     Oh yeah, Will could _definitely_ grow used to this.


End file.
